


Adventures in Babysitting

by Audrey_Lynne



Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Accidental Baby Acquisition, Age Regression/De-Aging, Do-Over, F/M, Fountain of Youth, Infertility, Old Married Couple, Regret, Romance, Scroldie, Spoilers, The Author Regrets Nothing, The Forbidden Fountain of the Foreverglades, Tumblr Prompt, What-If, briefly anyhow, episode AU, i mean that was the central theme of the episode
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-13
Updated: 2020-10-13
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:20:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26995813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Audrey_Lynne/pseuds/Audrey_Lynne
Summary: SPOILERS FOR THE FOREVERGLADES EPISODE!A bit of an episode AU, inspired by a Tumblr post.  What if Webby had some of the water from the fountain?  Now, in addition to their hormones and their arguments, teenage Scrooge and Goldie have to figure out what to do with a baby.  And, once that's handled, they still have a lot of other issues to work out...
Relationships: Scrooge McDuck/"Glittering" Goldie O'Gilt
Comments: 8
Kudos: 90





	Adventures in Babysitting

**Author's Note:**

> So, the ever-amazing Scroldie queen moonstoneflowers made a post before the episode, wondering what fun could be had if Webby accidentally fell into the fountain and Scrooge and Goldie had to babysit. I was inspired to make it happen after watching the episode, with a few changes to fit. That (and the events it sets in motion) is the only real "AU" thing about the fic...otherwise, it's the post-ep story I was dying to write anyhow.
> 
> Credit for all lines from the actual episode goes to the writers, of course.

* * *

Getting his youth back really felt like it put the “forever” in Foreverglades. Webby’s protests went largely ignored as Goldie and Scrooge raced ahead of her in search of the fountain. For once, the roles had been reversed – the child watching out for the reckless no-longer-adults, and Scrooge had to bite back a snort as Goldie stage-whispered, “Let’s ditch Old Lady Vanderquack and stay young forever.”

“We can’t leave Webby,” Scrooge protested. Sure, she was being a bit of a killjoy at the moment, but she was eleven years old. He was immediately distracted, however, as Goldie drew closer and murmured about second chances, and there was a very familiar burning in his cheeks – and other places, perhaps, but there was still a child present. Webby continued to grump, fighting the forces of nature and apparently losing, and Scrooge frowned as he considered that, while youth may have been wasted on the young, they had the wisdom _not_ to waste it this time. He glanced at Webby, who was – intentionally or not – doing a passable impersonation of him at 153. _Do I really sound like that?_

“Curse me kilts,” Webby grumbled, swinging his cane at the attacking mosquitos, and that essentially answered Scrooge’s silent question.

Against his better judgement – perhaps he could blame it on the exhilarating rush of youth – Scrooge agreed to take off with Goldie. Webby was well-trained in survival skills, and it wasn’t as if he intended to leave her in the swamp all day. Once they found the fountain, they could come back for her. He took off with Goldie, tuning out Webby’s protests. She’d get over it…if anything, maybe she’d go back to the resort and relax.

Goldie, predictably, didn’t seem to feel the least bit guilty about leaving the girl. She grabbed her canteen, tossing it to Webby with a laugh. “Have a drink and chill out, Grandma!”

“I’m still younger than both of you!” Webby argued as they dashed away, leaving her to her own devices.

* * *

There was a certain indignity in being slapped in the face by Rockerduck’s foot as it was controlled by Jeeves…or whatever Jeeves had become. On top of that, the fountain was empty, which meant that their supply of eternal youth was potentially gone as well.

Goldie was thinking aloud as she realized it probably hadn’t been the stream that made them young. Scrooge was all for letting her theorize, but he also had a more pressing issue to deal with, that being Jeeves’ massive fist around his torso. “Could you think a little faster, dear? I’m kind of in a bind!”

“The hotel water!” Goldie realized, reaching for her canteen – which she didn’t have. She hopped down from the fountain, dashing away from the fight.

“Goldie!” Scrooge protested.

“Sorry, old habit,” she replied, as she returned to hop up on Jeeves’ shoulders – and give him a massive wedgie. Immature, but effective.

“Now what were you saying about the water?” Scrooge asked as they turned to head back to the hotel.

“It’s the only thing we both drank,” Goldie explained. “Let’s go! We have to get back there; I found a small stash, but there’s got to be more. And I’ve got to get my canteen back from your mini me back there.”

“ _My_ canteen,” Scrooge argued, but then he froze, realizing the sudden implications. “It was empty when you gave it to Webby, right?”

“Mostly…” Goldie looked suddenly unsure.

“Oh, _no_.” Scrooge turned to run back the way they’d came, grabbing Goldie’s hand to bring her along. When he reached the clearing where they’d left Webby, he looked around. The canteen was lying beside the stream, near his hat and cane, but Webby was nowhere in sight. Fear rose in his throat briefly until he heard a tiny cooing noise nearby. Following the noise, he found her in the nearby brush – a wide-eyed baby duckling, content despite being covered in dirt. She rolled over as Scrooge approached, reaching for him expectantly. “Curse me kilts…”

“Yikes.” Goldie frowned. 

As Scrooge stared at the infant, rather than picking her up, the lower half of Webby’s beak began to quiver and she made fussing noises that threatened to turn into full-blown crying any moment. “Oh, no, lass, don’t cry…your uncle’s got you.” He picked her up, patting her back, and her smile returned instantly. “There, that’s better.” He reached out to Goldie, pulling the front of her vest forward enough to deposit Webby in it. “You gave her the water; you can watch her.”

Goldie shot him an indignant look and pulled the baby out of the makeshift carrier. “She doesn’t even like me!” She held Webby at arm’s length, regarding her suspiciously.

“She’s a baby, Goldie, not a bomb.” Scrooge sighed, taking Webby from her. “We’ll take her back to the hotel and figure things out from there.”

“Great,” Goldie agreed. “I’ll let the manager know to have a crib sent up to your room, then I’ll go find the water and we’ll lock down this eternal youth deal in no time.”

Scrooge shot her a look. “I think we have a more pressing matter on our hands now.” Literally so, he thought, as Webby decided that his fingers looked much tastier than her own. “Beakley’s going to murder me.”

“Aww, but they grow up so _fast_ , don’t they?” Goldie asked, patting Webby’s head patronizingly. Webby didn’t seem to mind, flashing her a toothless grin in return. “She’ll get over it. She’s probably missed these days anyhow. Who are we to deprive her of that? Let’s get the goods and get out.”

“Let’s just get back to the hotel,” Scrooge insisted. He knew this argument wasn’t over, but nothing was going to be resolved until they got there anyhow.

* * *

Despite the absence of aching back and sore knees, the trip back took longer, given Scrooge and Goldie’s discovery that babies had a strong tendency to vomit on whoever was holding them when jostled. A light jog seemed to be fine, but anything faster than that was pushing it, and the fact that Webby smiled adorably at them after spitting up did not make it any less unpleasant.

They had been trading off on who carried Webby, though they’d given up fighting over it. Despite her previous distaste for Goldie, Webby didn’t seem to mind; her sunny disposition remained intact. 

“Look at her!” Goldie grinned at Scrooge, that sly smile he absolutely didn’t trust (but was charmed by nonetheless). “She’s so much happier like this.”

“She’s a _baby_ ,” Scrooge countered. They’d kept their memories, but their teenage brains were quite capable of processing that…even if they were flooded with additional hormones. He wasn’t sure the same applied in Webby’s case; he hadn’t been around her much when she was this age, but she seemed to be acting like any other infant.

Goldie shrugged. “Babies grow up.” Her pace picked up as they neared the resort’s main office, and she pushed Webby into Scrooge’s arms. “Time to get this deal in the bag.”

“Goldie, wait!” Scrooge shifted Webby to his shoulder and took off after her. 

As they raced through the lobby, the manager gave them a cheery wave. “Checking in for spring break?”

Scrooge barely spared him a glance, but then slowed down and looked again as he realized that the lion’s hair had been grayer that morning. Of course, hair dye was a thing – Goldie was proof enough of that – but surely there wouldn’t have been enough time for such an endeavor in the middle of the afternoon, with as busy as things were. “What did you do with the Fountain of Youth?” They didn’t have time for subtlety.

The lion groaned. “What is it with kids figuring me out today?” He began to come toward them, but they were interrupted by a teenage flamingo who came tearing through the lobby to cannonball into the pool. Which was an amazingly large supply of water…mystery solved.

“The pool!” Goldie and Scrooge exclaimed at the same time. Ignoring the manager, who was hot on their heels, Scrooge raced out to the pool area, handing Webby off to Goldie as he passed her. Goldie made a noise of protest, but Webby still appeared to be having the time of her life – not that she had much to compare it to in this state.

The fight that ensued was inevitable. The manager had claimed earlier to be a descendent of Ponce deLeon, but it was increasingly obvious he _was_ Ponce deLeon, living off the springs of eternal youth. And, apparently, sucking it dry from unsuspecting Spring Breakers. That certainly explained the all the seniors that had arrived recently. The offer to join him was tempting, certainly, and Goldie’s eyes sparkled briefly as they considered it. Scrooge was somewhat distracted as he watched her prowess until they had deLeon cornered; she’d converted her vest back into a baby sling for Webby and deftly kept the duckling out of harm’s way, even as she maneuvered around deLeon with one of his swords. But as he helped the newly elderly flamingo out of the pool, Scrooge knew he couldn’t go through with it. Goldie might be able to, but her sense of ethics had always been looser than his own. “What good is erasing past mistakes if we’re just to make worse ones?” They could use the pool to turn Webby back to her rightful age, but after that, he couldn’t justify anything. As much as he wanted this do-over with Goldie, to have an eternity to reconnect and rediscover each other, this wasn’t the way. At least they could make the most of the youth they’d been granted for now. “I can’t.”

“But I _can_!” And, oh, there was Rockerduck. Just what they needed. Jeeves snatched deLeon’s canteen, and within moments, Rockerduck was back in his prime. Fortunately, that had never been a real threat. Jeeves was the one to watch out for, and though he’d been bizarrely reinforced and pieced back together, he was slow.

“Scrooge! Catch!” Before Scrooge could say anything, Goldie was tossing Webby to him. Granted, he _was_ closer to the pool, but he bit back a curse as he moved to catch the airborne duckling. Webby was giggling, seeming to find the experience delightful.

Scrooge was less amused. “Goldie, you cannae throw a baby!”

“I knew you’d catch her!” Goldie dove for the sword again, grinning as she kept deLeon at bay.

Before Jeeves could grab him, Scrooge smiled at Webby and dunked her to her shoulders in the pool. That would solve one problem, at least, but he yelled in alarm as Rockerduck aimed a kick at his midsection. It wasn’t effective enough to hurt him, but he lost his grip on Webby and she went under. So much for his youth. Scrooge reached in to grab her before she could sink too far, fully prepared to dive in after her, but her hand reached out of the water to grab his. He pulled her to the edge, blinking as he helped the sputtering, disorientated teenager out of the pool. “Lass, you all right?”

“Yeah, I’m –“ Webby looked down at herself as she stood, clearly regaining her bearings. “Whoa.”

Scrooge sighed. Now Beakley really _was_ going to kill him. There was no time to worry about it, however, as their opponents advanced on them. At least Webby could handle herself now. “You get Rockerduck; we’ll handle the other two!” Or…he would. He didn’t see Goldie, and he was disappointed, but not surprised. At least she’d have what she wanted. And perhaps she’d still drop in from time to time.

Rockerduck retreated to an umbrella-covered table after getting his ass kicked by Webby, and she immediately turned her attention to deLeon as he grabbed Scrooge, leaving Jeeves open to attack from the front. Scrooge kicked and struggled in the lion’s grasp as deLeon shook Webby off. She jumped up, unhurt, and ran around to climb on Jeeves instead. Scrooge nodded approvingly. If she could keep him distracted long enough, he’d be able to get away from deLeon and take him down.

“This is my Fountain of Youth, and I’m not giving it up!” deLeon shouted as he lunged for Scrooge, who’d wriggled free.

“We’re not gonna give you that choice!” Webby taunted as she poked Jeeves in the eye. He swatted at her, but she hopped down before the blow could connect.

“Atta girl,” Scrooge encouraged. “Let’s show these two how it’s done.”

* * *

The girl was fine – though that wouldn’t have stopped Goldie; Scrooge would watch out for her. Scrooge could handle himself; he always did. Goldie had never had anyone to watch out for her but herself; she felt a little guilty for running away, but she had to do what she had to do…right?

Scrooge’s nephews were tied up in deLeon’s office, and she shouldn’t have been surprised; the McDuck clan always uncovered nefarious plots. He’d trained the boys well. They didn’t appear to recognize her, whether because of her age or because they were distracted by their current predicament. Nobly, Huey and Louie encouraged her to save herself while Dewey ineffectively tried to bite through the tube that bound them.

“I always do,” she assured them, and she cursed the hint of regret that crept into her tone. What did she have to feel bad about? They’d be fine. They were tied up, but Scrooge would come rescue them and it would all work out. Goldie had always been the one to save Goldie ( _except today, he caught you, remember?)_ and that was just the way things were. She hoisted a jug of water onto her shoulder and turned to go.

But, damn her sentimentality, she had to look back. Louie’s sad, worried eyes practically burned a hole into her. Had he recognized her voice? Did he know she was abandoning him? Or was he just a scared little boy, in over his head again? _You’ll have eternity to make it up to him; just go._ But she felt his gaze on her back, and she sighed. Her Sharpie needed her. She doubled back, grabbing the inner tube, and ran back to the pool area instead of out the door.

* * *

The fight was…not going well. Even with Webby helping, Scrooge had been overpowered; Jeeves had her in one fist and had broken Scrooge’s makeshift weapon. He backed away from deLeon’s sword, only to find himself scooped up into Jeeves’ other fist. 

“Hey!” An unexpected but welcome voice called out. “Pick on someone your own age!” 

Scrooge turned to look, a smile spreading across his face as Goldie stood in the doorway leading to the pool. She had an inner tube with Huey, Dewey, and Louie stuck inside it, which was equally surprising, but she set the boys aside and jumped into the fray, practically force-feeding the jug of water she carried to Jeeves. She flipped, kicking deLeon aside, and landed, her hair falling into her face. “You came back for me…”

Goldie tossed her hair back, giving him a flirty smile. “Guess I’m not the woman I used to be.”

Scrooge swallowed, hard, feeling the blush rising to his cheeks again. It had to be the teenage hormones, right? As the water took effect, Jeeves dropped him and Webby as he de-aged…all the way back to a helpless Franken-infant. The tot wailed, reaching for Rockerduck, who was left with no choice but to scoop him up in his own baby carrier. Scrooge would have enjoyed their departure, but deLeon wasn’t down for the count yet, and he was going to fight for his fountain. With a glance behind him to make sure the kids were safe, Scrooge drew deLeon away from the others – this time, with Goldie at his side. They had one sword between them, but it was more than they’d had in some fights, and they fell into sync with practiced ease until they had deLeon’s weapon too.

“We may not be young forever…” Goldie told deLeon, mocking his argument that they didn’t deserve eternal youth.

“…but we can make the most of the time we’ve got,” Scrooge finished, grinning at her. If they forced deLeon off the diving board, his own fountain would take care of him – how was that for karma? “Give it up; there’s nowhere else to go!” 

The plan worked, but with one fatal flaw; deLeon managed to grab Scrooge as he fell. He heard Goldie shouting his name in alarm, and then he was hitting the water, still caught in the lion’s grasp. He managed to escape, swimming to the surface.

Goldie was waiting for him at the pool’s edge, looking genuinely worried, and it bled into her tone. “Scrooge, you’ve got to get out of there!”

“I’m trying!” She didn’t have to tell him twice. If Scrooge overshot his original age, like Webby, it would be disastrous. He’d already defied aging at every turn; there was nowhere left to go but the grave. He swam toward her, only to be pulled under as deLeon grabbed him again. He struggled and kicked, gasping as the lion’s arm wrapped around his neck. DeLeon was aging rapidly, as Scrooge himself would be soon; he felt as if he’d already hit middle age and was rapidly careening forward. That might have been the lack of oxygen, too. His vision blurred and, though he fought, he knew that this was it. This was where his adventure ended. 

Or…was it? A blonde angel swam down to him, the pool lights creating a halo around her hair. It was Goldie, and she grabbed him, swimming to the surface. As he climbed out, weak but regaining his strength, he collapsed into her embrace, looking up with her in awe. This was more than coming back for him or refusing to leave him for dead. She’d sacrificed her entire goal for him. She’d never done that before. “But…your fresh start…”

She sighed, looking down at him. “A fresh start isn’t worth it without you, you crazy old coot.”

“Uncle Scrooge!” Webby raced over to him, grinning as she saw he was all right. They all ended up staring as deLeon met his long-overdue fate, sinking into the water as time finally caught up with him. 

The boys, now free, peered over the edge as well. Louie and Dewey were staring into the pool, disgusted. “Oh, man, someone’s gonna need to clean that pool,” Louie groaned, gagging as he contemplated it.

Meanwhile, Huey stared at Webby. “Not you too!”

Scrooge sat up gingerly, wondering what he meant by “too,” when he realized that Dewey was a bit taller than his brothers. “Lad, did you get in the pool?”

“Just a toe!” Dewey insisted, holding up his hands as if to proclaim his innocence. “And, hey, Webby’s, like…Lena’s age!”

Webby chuckled, shrugging. “Guess I’m just all over the place today.”

Scrooge sighed, looking at the crowd of concerned senior citizens that had gathered. “We’ve got to fix this somehow. That water…where does it filter to?”

Goldie shook her head, brushing her bangs out of her face with another sigh. “Follow me. Guess we’re about to open the Water Cooler of Youth.”

* * *

Though Scrooge had, in theory, been in favor of Louie’s suggestion that they sell the water for five dollars a glass, he’d had to cave to Huey’s argument that the right thing to do was give it away. After all, the Spring Breakers hadn’t known what they were getting into. Soon, the resort was full of teenagers again – even if, unfortunately, Scrooge and Goldie weren’t among them. There was enough left after taking care of them for half a glass, and Scrooge passed it to Webby. “Here you go, lass. I shan’t have you growing up too soon.” 

She laughed, taking it from him, and was soon her preteen self. Dewey nabbed the last drop, resetting his own advance on puberty and conceding the older brother role to Huey once more. It seemed everything was working out…and, again, Goldie had disappeared into the crowd. Scrooge was sad to see her gone, but this time it was different. There was no sense of betrayal, just a wistful sense of disappointment that they wouldn’t get to talk this through…until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned, a thrill shooting up his spine as Goldie smiled at him.

“Hey!” Goldie protested. “I wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye…this time.”

His hand closed over hers as he smiled tenderly, and the gesture left her blushing. When Goldie passed Isabella Finch’s journal back to him, he was touched – though a part of him still couldn’t help but suspect a ruse. Old habits, he supposed. And it _was_ a ruse, to distract him long enough for her to sweep him off his feet and into a kiss. Scrooge was surprised, but he didn’t resist in the least, returning the kiss and gently cupping her cheek in his palm. He’d missed this. For all of the games they’d played, for all of the times he’d wished he could put out the fire that burned in his heart for her, this was _them._ Adventure, unpredictability, rivalry…and love. He’d seen it in her actions today, even before the kiss. That had just sealed the deal.

Goldie laughed after successfully getting the crowd distracted with a cheer for Spring Break, then grabbed his hand and dashed back into the hotel, dragging him along. “What do you say we slip up to my room before the kids know we’re gone?”

Scrooge was reasonably sure the only kids that mattered would notice their departure…but they were old enough and clever enough now that they would know not to question it too much. Especially if they’d seen that kiss. They could entertain themselves for the rest of the day. “Lead the way, lady.”

* * *

It was no cabin in the Yukon, but they’d made do. The setting had changed and so had they. Scrooge rolled over in the bed so he could look into Goldie’s eyes again; he knew she was still awake from the sound of her breathing. It always evened out and sounded so relaxed when she was asleep. He reached out, running his fingers through her hair and letting his hand linger on her face. “You’re not going to stay, are you?”

Goldie shook her head with a sad smile. “I promised you I’d say goodbye this time; that’s a start, right?”

It was definitely a start. Scrooge honestly wasn’t sure what he’d have said if she did stay. Deep down, he knew she wasn’t ready to settle in one place. Perhaps someday, but he couldn’t ask her to change too much in one day. “That it is.”

She reached over him to the nightstand, grabbing the chain that held his Number One Dime. From her demeanor, Scrooge could tell that she was toying with him rather than swiping it, so he let her. Besides, it was the one thing of his she had actually never attempted to steal. “Ten cents for your thoughts.”

Scrooge laughed, taking the dime from her and setting it back in its temporary resting place. “At least I can spend it here, eh?” Not that he ever would. He sighed, considering her question. He’d been thinking about a lot of things, and she must have been able to tell from his expression. Or maybe she just knew him that well after all these years. “I was just thinking…when we were dealing with wee Webbigail…do you ever wonder if we could have done it for real?”

“What, babysitting?” From the look in her eyes, he could tell she knew that wasn’t what he was asking, and she sighed. “You, me, a kid?” Goldie shrugged. “We’d have screwed that up, just like everything else, I’m sure.”

“Oh, I don’t know.” Scrooge wanted to think they’d have done better, somehow, if they’d had a reason to change. “I think we’d have managed.” They’d never know now, he supposed. 

“It wasn’t meant to be,” she insisted sadly, and the raw emotion in her tone nearly stopped his heart.

“Goldie…” Scrooge reached out, curling his hand around hers. “We didn’t…did we…?” A thousand scenarios popped into his head, but if they’d had a child they lost, and she’d been left to handle it alone…

Goldie shook her head, forcing a smile. “No… I thought once, maybe, but…no.” She shrugged, still looking distant, but moved closer to him. “If it was going to happen, it would have happened in that cabin.”

“Oh.” Scrooge kissed her forehead, holding her close. He understood now. Infertility was its own kind of pain. Especially if she’d begun to hope they might have a child. She’d never mentioned it to him, but perhaps she hadn’t wanted to get his hopes up. Or maybe she had feared his reaction. It didn’t matter now. They could find happiness, in their own way. This time, when she left, he knew she’d come back to him. And who knew? Maybe one day, she’d be ready to stay. “So much for eternal youth, huh?”

“Yeah, so much for that.” Goldie snorted. “There’s always Ronguay. It only takes off a few years, unfortunately, but it gives you a nice energy boost. And it’s ‘McDuck ethics approved.’” She laughed as she mocked his accent with the last few words.

“Perhaps we’ll plan a trip someday.” Scrooge chuckled. “Right now, I don’t feel a day over 132.”

Goldie sat up slightly so she could plant a gentle kiss on his cheek. “But you look every minute of it, you geezer.”

Ah, that was his Goldie. For all of the regrets he had about their relationship, he wouldn’t have changed her sharp wit for anything. He returned the kiss, then smiled at her. “Bold words for a woman whose silver roots are showing.”

She scowled, slapping him with her pillow, and he retaliated in kind. Within moments, they were tumbling around on the bed in a full-blown pillow fight, laughing like the teenagers they’d been hours ago. Spring Break, indeed. 

* * *


End file.
